Behavioral Effects of Microwave Reinforcement Schedules and Variations in Microwave Intensity on Albino Rats

1987 ◽  
Vol 65 (3) ◽  
pp. 787-795 ◽  
Author(s):  
William F. Vitulli ◽  
J. Ken Lambert ◽  
Stella W. Brown ◽  
Joseph M. Quinn
Keyword(s):  
Microwave Radiation ◽  
Thermal Environment ◽  
Fixed Ratio ◽  
Behavioral Effects ◽  
Interactive Effects ◽  
Ratio Schedule ◽  
Albino Rats ◽  
Reinforcement Schedules ◽  
Continuous Reinforcement ◽  
Exploratory Investigation

The objective of this exploratory investigation was to determine the interactive effects of fixed-ratio scheduling of microwave reinforcement in tandem with changes in microwave intensity. Nine albino rats were conditioned to regulate their thermal environment with microwave radiation while living in a Skinner (operant conditioning) Box in which the ambient temperature was about 27.13°F at the beginning of the session. Each rat obtained a 6-sec. exposure of microwave radiation on a fixed-ratio schedule of MW reinforcement, the values of which varied from FR-1 to FR-30. Intensities of MW radiation were 62.5 W, 125 W, 250 W, and 437.5 W. Sessions lasted for 8 to 9 hr. over an approximate 13-mo. period. The effects of the intensity of microwave reinforcement varied as a function of the ratio value of the schedule used. Continuous reinforcement (FR-1) produced the lowest over-all rates, whereas FR-15, and FR-25 produced the highest over-all rates. Relatively higher thermal-behavior rates occurred under 62.5 W than under any of the other MW intensities for FR-1, FR-15, and FR-25, whereas FR-10 and FR-30 ratios produced intermediate rates of thermal responding which were constant for all values of MW intensity. These data are explained in terms of interactive effects between the “local” satiation or deprivation properties of the MW intensity and the ratio requirements of the schedule of MW reinforcement.

scholarly journals Maintained goal-directed control with overtraining on ratio schedules

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Eric Garr ◽  
Yasmin Padovan-Hernandez ◽  
Patricia Janak ◽  
Andrew R. Delamater
Keyword(s):  
Taste Aversion ◽  
Fixed Ratio ◽  
Ratio Schedule ◽  
Group Differences ◽  
Continuous Reinforcement ◽  
Extensive Training ◽  
Lever Pressing ◽  
Over Time

It is thought that goal-directed control of actions weakens or becomes masked by habits over time. We tested the opposing hypothesis that goal-directed control becomes stronger over time, and that this growth is modulated by the overall action-outcome contiguity. Despite group differences in action-outcome contiguity early in training, rats trained under random and fixed ratio schedules showed equivalent goal-directed control of lever pressing that grew over time. We confirmed that goal-directed control was maintained over time under another type of ratio schedule—continuous reinforcement—using both specific satiety and taste aversion devaluation methods. These results add to the growing literature showing that extensive training does not always weaken goal-directed control, and can strengthen its expression.

Behavioral Determination of Critical Flicker Frequency in the Rat

1969 ◽  
Vol 29 (2) ◽  
pp. 655-660 ◽  
Author(s):  
Martin D. Schechter ◽  
J. C. Winter
Keyword(s):  
Light Source ◽  
Food Reinforcement ◽  
Fixed Ratio ◽  
Critical Flicker Frequency ◽  
Ratio Schedule ◽  
Albino Rats ◽  
Fixed Ratio Schedule ◽  
Flicker Frequency ◽  
Linear Decrease

3 female albino rats were trained to press a lever for a food reinforcement on a fixed ratio schedule. When a stationary light source flickered at 100 cps, the rats could obtain reinforcement contingent upon 10 responses. When stimulus lights flashed at frequencies of 20, 50, 70, or 100 cps, the rats were not rewarded. These two conditions controlled the animals' behavior so as to require them to respond only when the light was steady (100 cps). Increased flicker frequency, between 2 and 100 cps, in the SΔ condition, provided a discriminative task. There was a linear decrease in efficiency of discrimination as the frequency of flicker increased. The reliability of the albino rat's behavior in physiologically and pharmacologically oriented cff investigations is discussed.

Insulin and Dextrose Effects on Fixed-Interval Behavioral Thermoregulation in Albino Rats

1990 ◽  
Vol 71 (1) ◽  
pp. 7-15 ◽  
Author(s):  
William F. Vitulli ◽  
Connie P. Anderson ◽  
Joseph M. Quinn ◽  
Julie D. Jarvis
Keyword(s):  
Repeated Measures ◽  
Thermal Environment ◽  
Fixed Ratio ◽  
Regular Insulin ◽  
Fixed Interval ◽  
Behavioral Thermoregulation ◽  
Saline Control ◽  
Albino Rats ◽  
Sprague Dawley ◽  
Operant Responding

This study is a systematic replication of the effects of insulin doses on operant behavior reinforced (in an earlier study) by fixed-ratio schedules of microwave (MW) reinforcement. In this study, insulin and dextrose doses were administered (ip) prior to fixed-interval 2-min. schedules of MW reinforcement in rats tested in a cold environment. Six Sprague-Dawley rats were conditioned to regulate their thermal environment with 5-sec. exposures of MW radiation (SAR = 0.34 Watts/kg/(mW/cm2) under the FI-2′ schedules. Humulin-regular insulin and 50% solutions of dextrose were administered (ip) alternately with saline control sessions for 8-hr. durations. A within-subjects, repeated-measures 4 × 8 × 3 factorial analysis of variance design showed that insulin doses suppressed operant responding for heat, which confirmed the results of the earlier study under a different schedule. In addition, high doses of dextrose had similar suppressing effects on operant responding for heat. The data are interpreted in terms of the discriminative properties of increased thermogenesis produced by the insulin and dextrose doses. The suppressing effects were more pronounced for the first two hours, yet they persisted for approximately six hours of the 8-hr. sessions.

Influence of Changes in Adrenergic and Cholinergic Activity upon Acquisition of Operant Discrimination in Albino Rats

1973 ◽  
Vol 32 (3_suppl) ◽  
pp. 1311-1327 ◽  
Author(s):  
Vincent P. Houser
Keyword(s):  
Drug Treatment ◽  
Response Rate ◽  
Behavioral Effects ◽  
Albino Rats ◽  
Discrete Trial ◽  
Reinforcement Schedules ◽  
Cholinergic Activity ◽  
Operant Discrimination ◽  
Amphetamine Administration ◽  
Chronic Amphetamine

The effect of adrenergic and cholinergic drugs upon two discrete-trial fixed-interval reinforcement schedules that generate either high or low rates of unreinforced (SΔ) responding was investigated. Amphetamine and scopolamine decreased high SΔ rates while having no effect on low SΔ rates. Withdrawal of amphetamine after acquisition under the drug led to a dramatic increase in SΔ rates under both reinforcement schedules. Alpha methyl-p-tyrosine reduced high SΔ rates, while pilocarpine had no effect on behavior. These results suggest that the similarities between the behavioral effects of amphetamine and scopolamine on appetitive schedules may primarily reflect their motivational properties. Furthermore, these data indicate that withdrawal from chronic amphetamine administration can produce dramatic alterations in response rate even in cases where the acquisition of behavior is unaltered by chronic drug treatment.

scholarly journals Maintained goal-directed control with overtraining on ratio schedules

2021 ◽  
Vol 28 (12) ◽  
pp. 435-439
Author(s):  
Eric Garr ◽  
Yasmin Padovan-Hernandez ◽  
Patricia H. Janak ◽  
Andrew R. Delamater
Keyword(s):  
Taste Aversion ◽  
Fixed Ratio ◽  
Ratio Schedule ◽  
Group Differences ◽  
Continuous Reinforcement ◽  
Extended Training ◽  
Extensive Training ◽  
Lever Pressing ◽  
Over Time

It is thought that goal-directed control of actions weakens or becomes masked by habits over time. We tested the opposing hypothesis that goal-directed control becomes stronger over time, and that this growth is modulated by the overall action–outcome contiguity. Despite group differences in action–outcome contiguity early in training, rats trained under random and fixed ratio schedules showed equivalent goal-directed control of lever pressing that appeared to grow over time. We confirmed that goal-directed control was maintained after extended training under another type of ratio schedule—continuous reinforcement—using specific satiety and taste aversion devaluation methods. These results add to the growing literature showing that extensive training does not reliably weaken goal-directed control and that it may strengthen it, or at least maintain it.

Frustration Effect in a Free Operant Situation for Albino Rats

1975 ◽  
Vol 36 (3) ◽  
pp. 999-1006
Author(s):  
B. Michael Quirt ◽  
Jerome S. Cohen
Keyword(s):  
Reinforcement Schedule ◽  
Food Reinforcement ◽  
Fixed Ratio ◽  
Frustration Effect ◽  
Albino Rats ◽  
Schedules Of Reinforcement ◽  
Reinforcement Schedules ◽  
Intermittent Reinforcement ◽  
Free Operant ◽  
Free Operant Situation

Rats were trained to bar press for food reinforcement in a two-bar multiple fixed-ratio situation. After the animal had established asymptotic rates of time for transferring between bars and responding on each bar, responding on one bar led to no reinforcement or random intermittent (50%) reinforcement. Responding on a second bar was always reinforced. Under both schedules of reinforcement, rats decreased their time to transfer to the second bar and their time to respond on the second bar. All animals also displayed an initial disruption of transfer back to and responses on the first bar. For rats on the intermittent reinforcement schedule, the decreased response time on the reinforced bar was primarily found after nonreinforcement of response to the previous bar. Reinforcement schedules for response to the first bar did not differentially affect the above behavior.

Schedule-Induced Polydipsia in the Rhesus Monkey

1966 ◽  
Vol 19 (3) ◽  
pp. 823-828 ◽  
Author(s):  
Charles R. Schuster ◽  
James H. Woods
Keyword(s):  
Water Intake ◽  
Rhesus Monkeys ◽  
Food Reinforcement ◽  
Fixed Ratio ◽  
Variable Interval ◽  
Interval Schedule ◽  
Reinforcement Schedules ◽  
Food Schedule ◽  
Continuous Reinforcement ◽  
Schedule Change

Four rhesus monkeys were allowed water, which was continuously available on a fixed-ratio 1 (FR-1) schedule of reinforcement, and food, which was available on differing reinforcement schedules. In Exp. 1, water intake greatly increased when the food schedule was changed from continuous reinforcement to a variable-interval schedule. In Exp. 2, when the same schedule change was employed but the number of food reinforcements was held constant, the water intake increased as in Exp. 1. In Exp. 3, a fixed-ratio 25 (FR-25) schedule of food reinforcement was employed in which a total of approximately 80 food pellets were divided among 4, 8, 16, or 24 periods per 24-hr. session. Water intake was related linearly to the increase in the number of food periods. Since water responding took place only after the FR-25 food periods, it was argued that the schedule-induced polydipsia observed was not due to accidental chaining.

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